Thursday, February 23, 2012

And the winner is ....

Watching the Oscars has always been a major pleasure and unmissable tradition for me. (And I've seen the awards in quite a range of places.) I've been a guest at Swifty Lazar's famous party at Spago in L.A., hosted an Oscar bash with my wife at The Mercer Hotel, and watched my good friend Doug Wick get the Oscar for Best Film (for "Gladiator"). But if I had to pick my favorite way to view, I think snuggling in bed with your family or loved one is the best of all.

Recently though the speeches seem to be getting more mundane. Perhaps it's the weight of the fashion choices and instant judgment that makes the participants less spontaneous. Perhaps the winners themselves are less joyous. To see what I mean click here to watch my absolute favorite moment - Roberto Benigni's acceptance speech for 1999's Best Foreign Film, followed moments later by his surprise win for best actor.

Roberto Benigni was the surprise winner of the Best Actor and Best Foreign Language Oscars in 1999 for his film "Life is Beautiful." Benigni was only the third person ever to win an Oscar for a non-English speaking role, and his awkward but energetic acceptance speeches were highlights of the show.

Benigni's next film as a director and star was a live-action version of "Pinocchio" in 2002. It was a hit in his native Italy, but it bombed domestically, earning less than $4 million. The movie was nominated for six Razzie Awards, with Benigni crowned Worst Actor. Benigni hasn't directed a movie since 2005's "The Tiger and the Snow," but he will be seen this year in Woody Allen's next film "Nero Fiddled."

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